These forums can be depressing!
 

I like my RS, but after reading all the online posts about poor the LSD, center lock issues, coolant hoses that can let go at any second, and now the pressure plate/clutch issue. I am thinking of selling the car and getting a spec Miata. I don't feel like tracking my car anymore to be honest. I am at the point in my life where I want less stress and aggravation. :banghead:

I'm more concerned about the coolant fittings, but I'm having the same conversation in my head as well....

As long as you promise to make a DIY installing track mats or something in the Miata and post pics here I say sure go ahead ; )

Miata sure will be cheaper to maintain and insure.....but who wants a girly car with no balls? :nono:

I learned along time ago that there is a fine line for having a street car vs track car......after 100's of thousands of dollars spent on having fun at the track, repairing broken parts, beefing up existing parts, etc.... I can honestly say having a street car is less stress and aggravation. Sure I miss all the fun sometimes , but my CPO covers all this Pcar crap when and if it breaks, no questions asked...

There are a ton of track prepared cars out there for sale....look at 3 series bimmers if you want a fun car, relatively cheaper to maintain than pcars and much more fun than a miata.....

Let me advice you to go by your own experience (drive it / track it hard until something really fails) and real relevant data from trust worthy sources. There's a lot of BS that gets posted and several others jump immediately on the bandwagon and the casual reader might get the impression that all this cars are a POS.

Even for the famous LSD wear, most users that complain about this do it based solely on static tests but not real track "misbehavior" as 99% of those drivers don't really push the car to the point that LSD locks and you lay down 2 (instead of 1) black lines on exit. Also, most still leave the TC/PSM on, which still doesn't allow the benefit of the LSD as the rear tires are braked by the nannies before significant slip happens.

Dont read and believe, go drive...

so true great point...these forums unfortunately get most of the bad experiences when stuff breaks, so readers get impression all the same model cars have the same issues....

Agree on the LSD with this caveat. On the 6GT3 the most noticeable effect when tracking is the rear instability under heavy braking from high speeds with a bad LSD. Never had any issues with acceleration.

Now the GT2 is a whole nother ball game with a bad LSD.

Peter

There is always two sides to the coin... ;)

The reason P-car or other marque issues are reported in this and other forums is because they tend to appear frequently. It's not always easy to determine the likelihood of experiencing these failures in one's car but they are a reality. Defects and safety issues should not be ignored or diminished in significance IMO. They should not exists and they need to be corrected.

For daily driven vehicles chronic reliability or safety issues are much more than an inconvenience for most owners. IMO these problems should be resolved quickly and as painlessly as possible by the car mfg. Ignoring the problems won't make them go away but customers may leave the brand as a result of poor service or defect issues?

As far as tracking goes a P-car is a fun experience but it requires more maintenance as a result, like any tracked vehicle. Dedicated race cars are nice if you have the time/budget/space etc. People should chose what works for them as no two situations are the same.

Agreed....however that does not mean that those faliures should be dismissed, as they are part of motorsport...although most here do not race but we are as close as it comes to it and mechanical issues should not be a reason to stop driving IMO.

I'm keeping mine.
LSD don't worry. I had 11 gt3 all but one has open diff. Just drive around it. I never had braking instability maybe I'm
Too slow. But I know two drivers who did 1:37 with Hoosier and stock gt3 with open diff. They have no plan to fix it.

Coolant u r in taxes. Just run water mixed with beer

CL. I spent three hours yesterday putting car on stands and REALLY played around with CL. Once u really get ur hands dirty and understand the mechanism it's not bad. Though 5 lug still easier b

PP I know two cars. But that's small %

Engine. I know three cars had engine issues. But small number.

Just drive it. Fix it when broken. I was selling only bc I really have no time driving it. I mean it literally. I barely get enough
Hours to sleep everyday.

Miata. I love it had nine inc one spec Miata. I even commuted in my spec Miata no AC caged in my suit and tie in heavy traffic. So I'm no softie. But unless ur racing Miata is not it. I can run faster backward. In de I'll just out drag u on straight and park it in turns. I can see ur middle finger and swearing already. Now if ur racing SM then it's the best and probably the only real amateur racing.

All of this LSD talk in so many threads, I think t's time to check mine after 2 hard seasons out there on my car/diff... What would I notice in the GT2 Peter??

As for the OP, it sucks when you have something looming in the back of your mind, really hinders you from enjoying the car to it's fullest potential, i've been there but just got over it... Just drive the hell out of it, but check up on the issues before hand to make sure all is well, and in between. If still not comfortable, go for a spec cayman or something?

My LSD (when TC is on, and driven hard at the track) makes the same noise as an AK-47 when attempting to lock.... is it bad? It felt like something was going to fall out the rear of the car....

That was one time. After that, I went back to driving with TC/SC OFF.

I wouldn't get rid of the GT3 though... I've overlapped spec Miatas (in advanced/solo groups) at Sebring :D

The key to going really fast in any car is not caring about the car a great deal. The Miata fits the bill.

Racing a spec miata is great fun. I found racing a spec miata far more fun than de with a GT3RS. If you want to race, get a spec miata and have at it. You will have no regrets. Others will argue, but no venue in amateur racing is as intensely competitive as spec miata.

If you plan to track in a DE/track day environment, I'd keep your GT3. The miata is fun because you are nose to tail or wheel to wheel most of the race. The complete lack of power is going to be frustrating in a DE environment

Some wheel spin in slow speed corners like the Safety Pin @ Sebring and Oak Tree @ VIR. Probably something of an issue in the wet. Still having the rear walk around braking from 150+ mph was the biggest reason for me to upgrade.

If you don't notice these issues then U are golden.

Peter

As others have said, just get in and drive. If something happens, repair it (read: upgrade) then. I still have oem LSD and it's working. When it dies I'll upgrade the guts then. A thorough exam found the start of pulling coolant fittings. Tech pulled the engine and welded them up. Now I'll never worry about that again. Shocks wore out....motons went in. Stuff like that. No big deal. :D